How elections raise prices of grains in Katsina

This development, according to the businessmen, was attributed to the successful and peaceful outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections and the success being recorded in the fight against insurgency in the North-East.A sorghum dealer at Mararraban Kankara market, Alhaji Hamidu Kankara, said before the month of March, business in the grains markets was […]

This development, according to the businessmen, was attributed to the successful and peaceful outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections and the success being recorded in the fight against insurgency in the North-East.
A sorghum dealer at Mararraban Kankara market, Alhaji Hamidu Kankara, said before the month of March, business in the grains markets was paralysed as many of the merchants from the North-East stopped coming to the market; adding that the dwindling economy of the country also forced some animal feeds factories to almost close shop, a situation that made a bag of sorghum to be sold at less than N3,000 while that of maize was not more than N3,800 then.
“Sometimes by 12:00pm the business activities in the markets were in concluding stages because there were no customers from the North-East, Chad and Cameroon but with the successful and peaceful presidential poll our business is now booming with a significant increase in the prices of maize from N3,800 to now N5,000 and sorghum from N3,200 to now N4,500,” said Alhaji Hamidu.
He further explained that with the current success being recorded in the fight against insurgency, the merchants are now transporting the grains to Adamawa and some parts of Yobe State.
A farmer from Wanzamai village, Malumfashi LGA, Mal Safiyanu Umar, said they are happy with the new development as many of the farmers have earlier ruled out cultivating maize in the forthcoming farming season but with the current appreciation on its price they might change their minds.
“We really suffered this year because of poor price of grains in the markets. After we bought fertilizer at N5,000 in addition to other farming expenses, we ended selling a bag of maize at N3,800, that was why we resolved to cultivate soya beans instead of maize in the next farming season but with the recent appreciation of its price to N5,000 many of us might change our earlier decision,” Mal Safiyanu said.
He added that now in a market day, six to eight trucks are loaded with grains to various places in the country and beyond as against only two trucks in the last three months.
Mal Safiyanu further expressed optimism that the incoming administration will come up with a viable agricultural policies and programmes that will benefit the grassroots farmers.